Lal Chandan / Indian Red Wood
Pterocarpus santalinus
Also known as Red Sanders, Red Sandalwood
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & more
- Flowering
- April-June; Fruit till February
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Pterocarpus santalinus
- Genus
- Pterocarpus
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests, also planted
- Habitat type
- Forest, Cultivated
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, Gujarat, Odisha, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- April-June; Fruit till February
- Conservation status
- Endangered (EN)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“The leaves are alternate, 3–9 cm (1.2–3.5 in) long, trifoliate with three leaflets.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- TrifoliaterecordedA compound leaf made of exactly three leaflets.“The leaves are alternate, 3–9 cm (1.2–3.5 in) long, trifoliate with three leaflets.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Lal Chandan itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
- Flower arrangement
- RacemerecordedIndividual stalked flowers arranged along a central stem, opening from bottom to top.“The flowers are produced in short racemes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- LegumerecordedA dry pod that splits open along two seams (typical of the pea/bean family).“The fruit is a pod 6–9 cm (2.4–3.5 in) long containing one or two seeds.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Lal Chandan itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- लाल चंदन Lal chandan, रक्तचंदन Raktachandan, Lal Chandan, Raktachandan
- Nepali
- रक्तचन्दन
- Tamil
- Semmaram, Sivappuchandanam, செஞ்சந்தனம்
- Telugu
- Yerrachandanam, ఎర్రచందనం, ఎర్ర చందనం
- Kannada
- Kempujandha, Raktashandana, ರಕ್ತಚಂದನ
- Malayalam
- Chenchandanam, രക്തചന്ദനമ് Rakthachandanam, Rakthachandanam
- Marathi
- Ratanjan, रक्तचंदन
- Sanskrit
- Agarujandha, Arka, Chandana, Harichandana
- Gujarati
- Ratanjali
Lal Chandan in India
This slow-growing tree, known as लाल चंदन Lal chandan (Hindi), Semmaram (Tamil), Yerrachandanam (Telugu), Kempujandha (Kannada), Chenchandanam (Malayalam), Ratanjan (Marathi), produces one of the world's most valuable and tightly protected timbers. Pterocarpus santalinus is found across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, mainly in a small native range in Andhra Pradesh.
Uses
Its dense, deep red heartwood is highly prized for carving, musical instruments and traditional medicine systems in other countries, but the species is protected and its harvest and export are tightly restricted due to a long history of illegal logging.
How to Identify Lal Chandan
A small to medium deciduous tree with pinnately compound leaves made of a few rounded leaflets. Small yellow pea-like flowers appear in loose clusters, followed by flat, rounded, winged pods. The tree is far more often identified by its distinctive dark red heartwood than its modest foliage.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Indian Red wood called in different Indian languages?
- लाल चंदन Lal chandan (Hindi); Semmaram (Tamil); Yerrachandanam (Telugu); Kempujandha (Kannada); Chenchandanam (Malayalam); Ratanjan (Marathi); Ratanjali (Gujarati); Agarujandha (Sanskrit).
- Is this the same as Rakt Chandan/Adenanthera pavonina?
- No — the name overlaps in casual use, but true red sandalwood is Pterocarpus santalinus; Adenanthera pavonina is a different, unrelated tree sometimes called by a similar name in some regions.
- Why is it protected?
- Its native range is naturally small (mainly parts of Andhra Pradesh), and decades of illegal logging for its valuable red heartwood have made strict protection and export controls necessary.
Fabaceae
Legume/Bean family
Lal Chandan belongs to the Fabaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Fabaceae
View all Fabaceae →Sources: GBIF — Pterocarpus santalinus (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Pterocarpus santalinus (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)